Budget Week in Canberra
Putting People Before Property on the National Stage
In May, our Founder and Managing Director, Stephen Woodlands, attended Budget Week at Parliament House, joined by Kirsten Steedman from our partner Coronation.
From 12 to 14 May 2026, Stephen was in Canberra for Budget Week, his second visit to Parliament House this year. Earlier, in February, Stephen and Pam Jackson, Executive Director, First Nations Collaboration, attended the Prime Minister's Closing the Gap Statement from the Speaker's Gallery.
Over three days in Canberra, Stephen met with parliamentarians, philanthropic organisations, and private sector leaders, while also attending Question Time and watching the Treasurer deliver the 2026-27 Federal Budget. Throughout the week, he shared a simple but powerful message: when we put people before property, pathways to home ownership open up.
Speaking at Parliament House
During the week, Stephen presented at National Shelter's Housing at the Edge: Retiring Australians in the Private Rental Market forum. He shared the experiences of the women over 50 we support, including seven who have achieved home ownership.
In the Chamber for the Budget
Stephen was in the Chamber when the Treasurer handed down the 2026-27 Federal Budget. The Budget included major reforms to negative gearing and capital gains tax designed to improve access to home ownership and encourage investment in new housing supply.
Partners at the Table
Stephen was joined for the week by Kirsten Steedman from Coronation, one of our Major Partners. Together they met leaders across government, business and community sectors to discuss cross-sector collaboration, innovation, and how housing, support services and investment can work together to create lasting pathways to home ownership.
A highlight was the Post-Budget Business Engagement Drinks hosted by the Speaker of the House, the Hon Milton Dick MP. As Kirsten put it, "a room full of big ideas and the kind of conversations that remind you of what's possible when all sectors come together."
Building Connections for Change
Alongside the forum and the Budget, the week included:
the Budget Week networking event hosted by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Hon Milton Dick MP;
a meeting with Senator Lisa Darmanin, Chair of Economics Legislation Committee;
a meeting with representatives from the Prime Minister's Office;
a meeting with Alison Byrnes MP, Federal Member for Cunningham, whose electorate covers much of the Illawarra, where our Wollongong programs operate;
time with the Snow Foundation, which supports our Canberra Home Ownership Program; and
watching Question Time from the Speaker's Gallery.
Why These Conversations Matter
Head Start Homes is increasingly being invited into conversations about how Australia's housing system can better support people locked out of home ownership. Earlier in the year we lodged a submission to the Senate Select Committee on Intergenerational Housing Inequity, sharing what we have learned from helping people become homeowners.
But influence is not the goal. Better housing outcomes for people are. Budget Week was an opportunity to listen, learn, share our experience and contribute to the national conversation about housing. We left Canberra encouraged by the growing appetite for practical solutions that put people before property and expand access to home ownership.
Thank you to Kirsten Steedman, National Shelter, the Hon Milton Dick MP, Alison Byrnes MP, the Snow Foundation, and everyone who made time to meet with us during Budget Week.
“Structural reform creates possibilities, but it is only meaningful when translated into real pathways that people can access. Putting people before property is essential for this to happen.”